1850s: Whaling is a largely
unregulated business. American whalers are free to sail the open seas, and to
hunt for whales in any waters.

Today: In 1986 member nations of the
International Whaling Commission (IWC) vote to ban commercial whaling. Some
nations, including Norway and Japan, continue to slaughter whales.

1850s: Americans continue to move
west. The population of the northern states exceeds the population of the south
by one million. Slaveholding states seek to expand their influence in the new
territories, such as California and Utah. A compromise reached in 1850 holds
the peace for a decade, but slavery becomes a major and confrontational domestic
issue dividing North and South.

Today: Differences between northern
and southern states remain, but not at constitutional levels. Slavery has long
been abolished but many blacks suffer from racism. Foreign policy issues lead
the political agenda as America seeks to maintain and extend...